Down the Road: Flooding negatively impacts quality of life on Freeport's east side

Thursday

Jul 27, 2017 at 3:06 PMJul 27, 2017 at 3:06 PM

Danielle Rogers Correspondent

Many families in our region experienced effects of the heavy rain, my own included. A handful of businesses and several hundred homes experienced devastation. The homes are primarily located in the 3rd Ward's east side neighborhood. This is the area east of downtown, across the railroad tracks.

Flooding is nothing new for these Freeport residents. While the recent storm’s impact was much worse than they’re used to, flooding in their homes, businesses, yards, streets and sidewalks is a chronic issue.

The area is located in a designated floodway. The aging infrastructure, partnered with the proximity to the river, is negatively impacting the quality of life on the east side and hinders the development of Freeport’s riverfront.

When our basement flooded over the weekend, we were able to purchase a Shop-Vac and other supplies to begin water removal, clean up, and prevention efforts. Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for some east side residents due to transportation and budget restrictions.

The city recently addressed the problems with a Riverfront Enterprise Area Plan in August of 2016. There were a number of stormwater management best practices within it and some included costly engineering upgrades to the area that would ultimately improve the quality of life there.

The east side of Freeport’s 3rd Ward is a quiet neighborhood full of pride and a rich history. A highlight of recreation is Taylor Park. Taylor Park Elementary School (where I attended in my youth) and several businesses also provide viability to the area.

I was once told that the city as a whole slopes down from Park Boulevard east. Whether or not that’s true, things we do in our yards can help with runoff. Things like adding plants, protecting trees, breaking up slabs, going permeable, catching rain water in barrels, digging trenches, covering soil with mulch or grass, even washing our cars in the grass instead of in our driveways can help with water runoff.

Helping the east side will not only benefit the residents there, it will also benefit the city as a whole. While we continue to see progress in our downtown, working through these flooding issues will make more development possible. This includes Tutty’s Crossing and the trails.

While the community may not be able to fix the east side’s flooding issues overnight, we can help by donating supplies and working on runoff, volunteering to help clean up, and advocating for a better future for those that live there.

Danielle Rogers is the executive director of Freeport Downtown Development Foundation and can be reached at director@freeportdowntown.com.